The largest airline in the United States has a message for Donald J Trump.
The Trump administration plans to cut flight capacity at 40 of the country’s busiest airports by 10% — a move that analysts say will force airlines to cancel thousands of flights, impacting hundreds of thousands of passengers.
It all has to do with the current government shutdown, which began on October 1 due to a funding dispute between Democrats and Republicans.
We are now on day 36 and this is the longest shutdown ever.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the air traffic cuts were aimed at “relieving pressure” on air traffic controllers, who have been working without pay since the shutdown began.
About 1.4 million federal employees, from air traffic controllers to park rangers, are currently working without pay — or on forced leave — because Congress has failed to pass a federal funding budget.
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If it goes ahead, the flight restriction plan will come into effect on Friday, November 7, potentially forcing hundreds of thousands of travelers to rebook and change their plans.
American Airlines is now urging the White House to end the shutdown so it can serve passengers as it should be.
An AA spokesperson said this Subway“We continue to urge leaders in Washington to reach an immediate solution to end the shutdown.
“We remain grateful to the air traffic controllers, TSA officers and other federal employees who are currently working without pay – all to get our customers where they need to be safely – as well as our American Airlines team members who are always working to provide the best care for our customers.”
In a statement, the airline said it expects the “vast majority” of its customers’ trips to remain unaffected, and that there will be no disruption to long-haul international flights.
Because ‘disrupting customers’ plans is the last thing we want to do’, the airline has promised anyone whose flight has been canceled – and anyone who chooses not to travel on the dates in question – a refund or a rescheduled booking.”
“It’s unusual,” FAA chief Bryan Bedford said of the planned flight reductions, “just like the closure is unusual, just like the fact that our controllers haven’t been paid in a month is unusual.”
The flight reductions will be gradual, starting at 4% of domestic flights on Friday, then increasing to 5% on Saturday and 6% on Sunday, before reaching the full 10% next week. Reuters reported, citing four unnamed sources.
Duffy, the Transportation Secretary, said the cuts could be reversed if Democrats agree to reopen the government.
The shutdown has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration agents to work without pay.
U.S. officials said the names of the affected airports — all high-traffic locations — would be released Thursday.
Stay tuned for the full list.
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